What's Your Opinion: Are you surprised that I2P2 has moved down in OSHA's status queue?

I'm disappointed that they are succumbing to the pressures of business rather than stand firm as advocates of workers safety.

I am not surprised, conservative Republicans don't value the lives of America's working men and women.

I am delighted. I2P2 would greatly diminish the professional well being of safety and health professionals--who originated and continue to develop safety and health management systems. I2P2 will not improve safety and health over and above what safety and health professionals in collaboration with their management teams and employee colleagues are already achieving. We originated these concepts and don't need the government second guessing us. The primary purpose of I2P2 is the government's intense political agenda. My surprise is that they have abandoned that agenda--at least for now---and after four years+ of trying to convince us that I2P2 was not about their agenda.

It is a well establlished fact that companies who implement Illness and Injury Prevention Programs supported by a strong Return to Work Program commitment have successfully lowered their workers compensation insurance cost, increased employee morale and improved productivity. Business owners have simply got to stop viewing Standards from a negative perspective and begin to embrace the positve returns the Standards can have on their bottom line.

In the face of trying to work under a tighter budget safety is usually one of the first things to go. Add to that the inmates are pretty much running the asylum in government, there is little hope of anything meaningful getting done.

Just a comment to the response of Mr. Michael Glapion. Absolutely right. Those sites with safety and health staff are already doing safety and health management systems and reaping the rewards. Those who do not have safety and health staff are not and can not accomplish safety and health management systems on a sustainable basis. Therefore, no benefits. An OSHA regulation will NOT change that reality. If that reality were not true--if any site can implement safety and health management systems, why would the employers of safety and health professionals elect to have us on their staff and pay our salaries, benefits, retirement, kid's education, etc. There is a benefit to safety and health professionals being on site staff--and we need to remind ourselves as well as our clients of that benefit.

It's about doing the right thing for employees and has nothing to do with being pro-business or Republican, this should not have to be mandated. Our state already has a similar standard which satisifes the intent of I2P2. We are in the protection field anyway, just don't shove it down our throats. Thanks.

Wow. Are we saying it's Bush's fault for this, too - only subbing that phrase for conservative Republicans and business owners? Folks, the primary problem with I2P2 is its redundancy. Everything it stands for is already regulated and mandated in one variation or another - often in multiple forms. At its foundation, it's a paperwork exercise for safety professionals that brings no added safety value to the table for any working American. Elder, no politician devalues the lives of any working man or woman in our country. In the very least, they're called taxpayers and they pay their salaries. The reality is that conservatives, in general, are pro-jobs, pro-business. That helps keep Americans employed. Smart Americans don't work for unsafe companies regardless of job security or not. After all, there are plenty of handouts these days to keep a person well taken care of between jobs (if they even want to work).